ALPHATAURUS

Dark, brooding Italian prog from the mid-point in the first wave of bands. The band took some cues from Deep Purple and Black Sabbath for their heavy, earthy tone, but they have many "pure" progressive cues as well. The vocalist is strong and assured and is the focal point of the album. The guitar and rhythym section, as noted, is rockin' out on the heavier side, much like Museo Rosenbach. The keyboards keep the heavier aspects focused and help the dense atmosphere from going a bit off-kilter through all the fuzzed out guitars and dark vocals. The cover alone is worth picking up, especially the special edition digipac. A great example of how well some Italian bands worked with light and gloom - highly recommended in a basic Ital-prog library.